From new products and innovations to new features on the trade show floor, a look at everything you need to know – and more – as it pertains to flexible packaging at PACK EXPO.

Though Catapult officially just opened its Orlando, Florida, operations in spring 2018, the flexo print company is quick to point out that its business, while new, is actually some 25 years in the making.

If you were among the several hundred packaging professionals that attended the 2018 Global Pouch Forum last June 13-15 in Miami, then you know that one of the big show themes had to do with flexible packaging sustainability and recyclability.

Last March, Steven Sargeant, Ph.D., the general manager of R&D/technology for Flex Films International, gave a presentation on sustainability at a conference in the Chicago area.

Though Inland Packaging offers everything from shrink sleeves to various narrow web flexible packaging today, it got its start in the big beer and craft beer markets – markets that are riddled with competition and where various brands yearn to stand out.

The sachet market is continuing to heat up. According to Stratistics MRC, the global sachet market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.8 percent from 2017 to 2023, with the most popular pack sizes being the single-serve 1-10 milliliter variety.

How can you create better, more vibrant packaging that pops out on the shelf? Good printing can help, and arguably the most important ingredient in a good print job is the ink that is used.

In addition to educational presentations and networking, the 2018 Global Pouch Forum will also offer a tabletop exhibition space where some of the latest technologies and products in flexible packaging will be put on display. Here’s a preview of some of the hottest new innovations.

With the return of NPE, held once every three years, in addition to spring mainstays in Converters Expo and FTA Annual Forum/InfoFlex, printers and converters have a lot to keep up with this year. Here’s a closer look at the three upcoming events.